Concern over safety for proposed hospital parking in Penticton

PENTICTON – More information on safety issues is needed before a temporary use permit for hospital parking on Camrose Street will be granted.

City planner Blake Laven explained the request at Monday’s council meeting, where concerns were raised by citizens and counsellors over safety issues stemming from a large number of pedestrians crossing Industrial Avenue, a designated high volume truck route into the industrial park.

The property is owned by Interior Health and is currently being used as an RV storage lot. Interior Health plans to turn the property into a temporary parking lot, with 270 spaces,  while construction of the new hospital patient care tower is built.

While the lot is proposed to be used for only three years, Coun. Helena Konanz said she believes the property would be a part of hospital operations for years to come.

The city’s technical review of the application revealed safety issues tied to potentially having a crosswalk in the middle of a busy collector street which would be used by hundreds of people every day. The review noted lack of lighting and landscaping for the property as well.

Staff recommended allowing the temporary use permit as long as lighting, wheel stops, signage, a crosswalk and landscape buffer concerns are addressed, but after hearing resident’s concerns and further discussion, council felt a warrant analysis — a set of criteria used to define the relative need for traffic control devices — is necessary to properly identify potential hazards.

The study, estimated to cost $1,500, will be performed by city staff and billed to Interior Health, acting city manager Mitch Moroziuk said. Konanz also asked for a cost estimate for a footbridge to be part of the analysis.

Council agreed to postpone a decision on the matter until the second council meeting in August.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.